The present invention relates generally to warp knitted fabrics and methods of producing such fabrics and, more particularly, to a warp knitted fabric whose technical back has both a satin-like surface and a walewise ribbed effect.
Traditionally and technically speaking, satin fabrics are produced by weaving warp and filling yarns in any of a variety of satin-weave patterns wherein the warp yarns extend in elongated floats at one fabric face to predominate its surface. Thus, a satin weave provides a glossier appearance than other types of weaves and, accordingly, yarns of relatively bright luster are commonly utilized in satin weaves to enhance this effect.
It is also possible to produce a satin-effect fabric by warp knitting a set of lustrous warp yarns in a stitch pattern producing extending underlaps of the yarn at the technical back of the fabric. Thus, as will be understood, the extended underlaps of lustrous yarns cause them to predominate the technical back of the fabric thereby producing a surface appearance simulative of satin weave. As desired, another set of warp yarns may be knitted in a jersey, chain, or other plain stitch pattern at the technical face of the fabric as a substrate or ground to provide structural integrity to the fabric.
In the past, variations on the basic construction of a warp knitted satin-effect fabric have been proposed for diverse purposes such as attempting to minimize the tendency of the extended underlaps to pick or snag (U.S. Pat. No. 3,027,738 is representative) and to provide a special effect such as brushability or nappability to the opposite technical face of the fabric (U.S. Pat. No. 4,881,383 is exemplary), but in virtually all cases, the desire has typically been to leave unaltered the basic satin appearance and effect at the technical back of the fabric.